Talk:Faith/@comment-1.202.183.118-20120420152827

Well, Im a bit unsure of the definition as well. Faith is not just a 'disposition' towards something, but requires also an absolute at its core. God is certainly key to 'Faith' - but then again, God is a designated Name as understood in a particular culture and context. As a Muslim, I invoke God's name as Allah, Al-Rahman, Al-Raheem and so forth, but in the end, as He declares "All the Good Names are His." Perhaps a better alternative is a sense of the 'Absolute.' Not necessarily the anthropomorphic diety of the Abrahamic traditions, but an Absolute that can encompass all cultural and spiritual spaces of humanity.

This key element exists in all societies and cultures - even ones deemed 'non-theistic' such as say, the Buddhist Churches, Shinto, Taoism, or even parochial shamanistic and pagan practices for that matter. In the end there is an Absolute that needs to be recognized.

In the end you are right, God will not send people to Hell for practicing different religions (in a sense, this is an attitude shared by Traditional Islam for instance,) since the point is, He is Merciful, and that there are different spiritual needs for Humanity. China - as an example - does not speak the same spiritual language as say, the Semitic peoples.

Hope that is useful